Shadeflare's Predicament
by Shadeflare123
Summary: Shadeflare is a normal she-cat in Thunderclan, striving to be the best warrior she can be. She never really thought about having a mate or kits. That is, until she meets a tom from Shadowclan... Rated T for slight possible gore.
1. Allegiances

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors, Erin Hunter does.**

**I apologize for any errors found in this fanfic. You understand, right?**

** The cats listed here are all OCs. I made them up. If they match any cats you used in a**

** Fanfic, I apologize. It is a coincidence.**

**Allegiances:**

** Stormclan:**

_Leader: Cloudstar (Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes.)_

_Deputy: Eaglefur (Brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Mate to Petalheart.)_

_Medicine Cat: Willowheart (Ginger she-cat with green eyes.)_

_Warriors:_

_Shadeflare (Gray and white she-cat with deep blue eyes.)_

_Sunbreeze (Bright orange she-cat with deep amber eyes.)_

_Pebblewind (Dark brown tabby tom with deep green eyes. Mate to Snowywind. )_

_Hailfall (White-gray tom with icy blue eyes. Mate to Hazepelt)_

_Apprentice: Woodpaw_

_Snowywind (White lean she-cat with green eyes. Mate to Pebblewind.)_

_Shadowstream (Jet black tom with fierce amber eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Pinepaw_

_Spottedstreak (Ginger she-cat with darker ginger splotches, along with amber eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Littlepaw_

_Dawnwhisper (Small gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mate to Emberclaw.)_

_Apprentice: Flutterpaw_

_Emberclaw (Orange-red tom with amber eyes. Mate to Dawnwhisper.)_

_Apprentices_

_Woodpaw (Small brown tom with green eyes.)_

_Flutterpaw (Small, shy, she-cat with pale gray fur and blue eyes.)_

_Pinepaw (Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.)_

_Littlepaw (Small tom with dark green eyes.)_

_Kits and Nursery Queens_

_Hazepelt (Dark gray she-cat with dark blue eyes. Expecting Hailfall's kits.)_

_Petalheart (Light ginger she-cat with green eyes. Nursing Eaglefur's kits: Smokekit (Gray tom, amber eyes) and Applekit (Small she-kit, dark ginger pelt and green eyes.)_

_Elders_

_Poppyfur (Brown tabby she-cat with fading amber eyes.)_

_Darkfoot (Smoky black tom with dark blue eyes.)_

_Duskclan_

_Leader: Thornstar (Brown-black tom with dark amber eyes.)_

_Deputy: Blazeclaw (Dark orange tom with amber eyes.)_

_Medicine Cat: Ashtail (Dark gray tom with green eyes.)_

_Warriors:_

_Ivytalon (Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Mate to Cheetahstreak.)_

_Sootclaw (Black tom with dark blue eyes. Mate to Fernwhisper.)_

_Apprentice: Hawkpaw_

_Cheetahstreak (Spotted ginger tom with amber eyes. Mate to Ivytalon.)_

_Daypelt (Light yellow she-cat with blue eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Leafpaw_

_Cherryfur (Dark orange she-cat with bright green eyes.)_

_Softflower (Small, light gray she-cat with gentle green eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Blackpaw_

_Vinelight (Dark brown she-cat with green eyes. Mate to Cloverfoot.)_

_Cloverfoot (Gray tom with unusually bright green eyes. Mate to Vinelight.)_

_Lionclaw (Golden-brown tom with amber eyes.)_

_Flashclaw (Unusually light gray tom with blue eyes. Mate to Cloudfrost.)_

_Apprentices_

_Leafpaw (Small gray she-cat with light green eyes.)_

_Blackpaw (Dark black tom with blue eyes.)_

_Hawkpaw (Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.)_

_Kits and Nursery Queens_

_Fernwhisper (Light red-orange she-cat with amber eyes. Expecting Sootclaw's kits.)_

_Cloudfrost (Pale gray she-cat with blue eyes. Nursing Flashclaw's kits: Meadowkit, (small brown she-kit with green eyes) and Silverkit (gray-silver she-kit with blue eyes.)_

_Elders_

_Grasspelt (Brown tom with green eyes.)_

_Blossompelt (Once-pretty tortoiseshell with green eyes.)_

_Breezeclan_

_Leader: Galestar (Small, white she-cat with blue eyes.)_

_Deputy: Swiftstreak (Lean white she-cat with green eyes.)_

_Medicine Cat: Willowstorm (Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.)_

_Warriors_

_Firefog (Orange-brown tom with amber eyes. Mate to Cindersmoke.)_

_Moonflower (Gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mate to Ravenfeather.)_

_Apprentice: Fadepaw_

_Sageclaw (Gray tom with amber eyes. Mate to Robinspring.)_

_Apprentice: Runningpaw_

_Ravenfeather (Slick black tom with green eyes. Mate to Moonflower.)_

_Apprentice: Sandpaw_

_Lightningheart (Tabby tom with green eyes.)_

_Haresand (Tan colored tom with blue eyes.)_

_Apprentices_

_Runningpaw (Smoky gray tom with a white paw and blue eyes.)_

_Sandpaw (Tan she-cat with green eyes.)_

_Fadepaw (Light gray tom with light blue eyes.)_

_Kits and Nursery Queens_

_Cindersmoke (Tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. Nursing Firefog's kits.)_

_Robinspring (Blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes. Nursing Sageclaw's kits.)_

_Elders_

_Wolfhowl (Silver-gray she-cat with an unusually higher-pitched voice and green eyes.)_

_Rosebloom (Small tortoisheshell tabby with green eyes.)_

_Streamclan_

_Leader: Fogstar (Gray she-cat with blue eyes.)_

_Deputy: Floodclaw (Dark grayish blue tom with dark blue eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Shiftpaw_

_Medicine cat: Silverlight (Silver she-cat with green eyes.)_

_Warriors_

_Risinglight (Gray-black she-cat with green eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Lightpaw_

_Fogclaw (Black tom with dark blue eyes. Mate to Waterstreak.)_

_Fawnheart (Light brown she-cat with darker brown stripes.)_

_Frosteyes (Silvery she-cat with icy blue eyes.)_

_Streakflood (Ginger tom with dark orange splotches and amber eyes. Mate to Lillyflood.)_

_Lillypool (Brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Mate to Streakflood.)_

_Pebbleheart (Brown tabby tom with amber eyes.)_

_Apprentice: Stripedpaw_

_Mossclaw (Mottled brown tabby tom with green eyes. Mate to Minnowlight.)_

_Apprentices_

_Lightpaw (Bright ginger tabby she-cat with bright amber eyes.)_

_Stripedpaw (Black tom with dark gray stripes and green eyes.)_

_Shiftpaw (Gray tom with unusual dark gray, almost black, eyes.)_

_Kits and Nursery Queens_

_Waterstreak (Silver she-cat with unusual gray-blue splotches. Nursing Fogclaw's kits: Stonekit (Gray tom with green eyes) and Dawnkit (Light gray she-cat with blue eyes.)_

_Minnowlight (Red-orange she-cat with pretty amber eyes. Nursing Mossclaw's kits: Amberkit (Ginger-red she-cat with amber eyes) and Darkkit (Very dark gray tom with blue eyes.)_

_Elders_

_Frozenlight (Icy white-blue she-cat with icy blue eyes.)_

_Foxtail (Red she-cat with a white tail-tip and amber eyes.)_

**Holly Starclan this was a pain! I probably won't even use most of these cats! Oh well...once again, I thought these cats up off the top of my head. If they match any cats you have used or seen in another story, I apologize. It is a complete coincidence. Keep your eyes on the watch for updates!**


	2. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. However much I wish I did, I do not. Erin Hunter does. Am I Erin Hunter? No. Besides, Erin Hunter is like, four different people. Read on, though. And yes, I did change the Clans back to the regular ones. I got irritated when I would type Shadowclan, then go back and put Duskclan, and so on. Sorry for the confusion.**

Prologue

It was early in the morning. The day of the Gathering. I sighed and pawed my ear sleepily. As I stood up and padded out of the den, I heard the apprentices stirring. Pinepaw stepped out of the apprentices' den and stretched. As I watched the others stirring, I heard something behind me. "Good morning, Shadeflare." Eaglefur, the Thunderclan deputy, said as he stepped into the morning light. "Good morning." I replied. "It looks like Cloudstar woke up." He said, and I turned to see Cloudstar step out of her den. "I can see that," I replied. "The Gathering's tonight." I added. "I'd better go sort out the patrols." Eaglefur said, and I heard rustling come from the den. Snowywind stepped out into the sun, her white fur shining. _She didn't have much trouble finding a mate._ I thought. I was still…unsure about all that. "Good morning, Snowywind." I said. She was my best friend. "Good morning, Shadeflare." She said, just as Eaglefur began sorting out the patrols for the morning.

"I'll take out a patrol along the Shadowclan border. Shadeflare, Snowywind, and Pinepaw, you're with me. Pebblewind, you can take Spottedstreak, Woodpaw, and Littlepaw." Pebblewind nodded and started waking up cats for the patrol. Eaglefur did the same. "We're on a patrol together. That's good." Snowywind said. I nodded in agreement."You never were one for talking, Shadeflare." Snowywind teased. "No, I never have been." I jokingly agreed with her. "Well, Eaglefur's waiting for us. Let's go!" She said eagerly. I couldn't help but wonder how quiet little me ended up being best friends with adventurous little Snowywind. I guess things just happen like that. I followed her and the rest of the patrol out of camp and to the border.

We were at the border. As we renewed the scent marks, I heard a rustling, then saw four cats whose names I did not know. "What are you doing on the border?" A tom with fierce amber eyes and a dark orange pelt demanded. The rest showed the same hostility, aside from one. A tom, with a golden brown pelt and amber eyes. He seemed curious like the others, and his eyes were narrowed, but he wasn't glaring at us as if he'd love to tear our fur out. For a moment, our eyes met, then he looked at the other cats in our patrol. "Just a border patrol, Blazeclaw. Keep your fur on." Eaglefur said calmly. "Fine. But if one paw steps over this border, and I'll tear your fur out!" Blazeclaw snarled with hatred. Shadowclan cats were mean. What I found funny was Pinepaw's expression. He wasn't afraid, he was amused. Eaglefur signaled for us to move on. Blazeclaw did the same. I stole a glance again at the golden-brown tom. He looked back at me for a second. "Lionclaw, what are you waiting for? Let's go!" I heard a she-cat call. Huh. Lionclaw. So that was his name. "Shadeflare? You coming?" Snowywind said. "Yeah, I'm coming." I said, but I still watched the tom go off. _Huh. He's actually kind of handsome._ I thought, then bounded off after the rest of the patrol.

We got back to camp. Before, it was quiet and only a few cats stirred. Now, it was full of life, as apprentices trained, warriors shared tounges, and the kits bounded to the elders' den for stories. The kits were only a few moons old. I thought back to when I was that age, and became lost in thought, but snapped back when I heard Snowywind say,"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep." "Yeah, I'm tired too. I'm coming with you." I said, and followed her into the warriors' den, and lied down in my nest and fell asleep. I "opened" my eyes to find myself in the forest. I was back in the place where we had met the Shadowclan patrol. It was as if we were reenacting the whole thing, right down to where we put our paws. It was when I met that golden-brown tom's eyes, Lionclaw's eyes, for the second time, though, did I get a good look at his expression. Curiousity? Wonder? _Attraction?_ It was when I caught up to the patrol, though, did I wake up.

I woke up to find it was almost sun-high. I'd been asleep for a while. I notice that Snowywind is gone, and I pad out of the den to find her talking to, of _course_, her mate, Pebblewind. The look of love in their eyes makes me happy. Happy for the two of them. Happy they could feel so…joyous just by seeing each other. _The nursery is going to have a new addition soon._ I thought. It was true, though. As I padded out of camp to hunt, I found my paws taking me to the Shadowclan border. As I wondered why I was going there, I noticed a squirrel running about. Well, it didn't run much longer after I'd pounced on it. I swiftly killed it, and buried it so I could come back for it later. As I turned to look for more prey, I saw a familiar golden-brown pelt flash through the bracken on the Shadowclan border. Reflexively, I dashed into a shrub and hid, but I still watched him curiously. _What's Lionclaw doing here?_

As quietly as I could, I crept out of the bushes. Lionclaw only gazed up at the sky for a moment, then bounded back into Shadowclan territory. _Odd…_I thought for a moment, then headed back off into my own territory. As I quietly went through, I heard a scuffling sound. I saw a mouse scurrying about, and pounced on it. As I swiftly ended its life, I remembered the squirrel I'd caught from earlier. I headed back and soon came upon the place I'd buried it. I dug it back out and carried the squirrel and mouse back to camp. On the way, I caught another mouse, and soon came into camp. "Hi." Snowywind said as I padded over to the fresh-kill pile. "You went hunting?" She asked. I nodded and deposited my prey. "Are you hungry?" I asked when I heard a yowl. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

"Shadeflare, Snowywind, Hailfall, Pebblewind, Pinepaw, Flutterpaw, Sunbreeze, Shadowstream, and Pinepaw will be attending the Gathering along with Eaglefur, Willowheart, and I. The rest must stay and guard camp. While it is a Gathering, and it calls for peace, Clans have attacked on these nights before." Cloudstar announced from the Highledge. "Dismissed." She finished. As Pinepaw and Flutterpaw joined us and the rest of the group, we bounded out of camp and toward the Island. "I wonder what the leaders have to say." Snowywind said as we headed for the Island. I nodded in agreement. "I just hope Shadowclan doesn't go on about the two patrols meeting." I said. "They probably will. They're a bunch of mousebrains." She said. _What about that tom, Lionclaw?_ I thought, and almost said. _Why can't I get him out of my head?_ I thought. I couldn't like him. _But he's a good looking tom…_ I thought again. _It's against the code…it's against the code…it's against the code…_


	3. What Gatherings Bring

**Shadeflare's Predicament**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. Erin Hunter does.**

** Chapter One: What Gatherings bring…**

As we came to the bridge that lead to the Island, I kept thinking about Lionclaw. It was against the code, but I couldn't help it. Maybe I would see him? Maybe I wouldn't? What if he has a mate? What if he doesn't? What if he likes me? What if he doesn't? These questions floated in my mind. As the final cat crossed the bridge, I caught the scent of Shadowclan. I couldn't help but look over the cats. I couldn't tell whether I was happy or worried that I saw Lionclaw present among them. I probably blushed. I tried to shake off the feeling, and Snowywind and I started talking to some she-cats from Riverclan. Pretty soon some of their clanmates called them over, and Pebblewind called Snowywind over. I sat down, and noticed Lionclaw padding toward me.

"Hi." He said calmly. "H-Hi." I stammered. He sat down next to me. "Aren't you that cat I saw on the dawn patrol?" I asked just to continue the conversation. He nodded. Cloudstar yowled to start the meeting. "We don't have much to report. Prey is running well, and we have two queens expecting kits." She nodded to Thornstar and stepped back. "Shadowclan has a similar report. We have not experienced any problems." He stepped back. I was faintly surprised he didn't mention the run-in with Thunderclan on the border. Galestar stepped forward. "One of our queens has had kits." Murmurs of approval went through the cats. "We chased a fox out of our territory. No cats were seriously harmed or killed. That is all." Fogstar stepped forward. "Twolegs have camped by the river. While they are not a serious threat, they are a slight nuisance. We hope they will leave soon." She and the other leaders jumped down. "I'm glad Thornstar didn't mention the border patrols." I said. "Me too. If he did, he probably would have made it sound like Thunderclan's fault." He said. Huh. He was glad. "Um…come with me." He said quietly. I nodded. I followed him through the shrubbery into a secluded place on the Island.

"Listen…this morning during the patrol, when you and I hung back from the rest, what was going through your head?" He asked me. That took me by surprise. "Um…" I said. "Listen, I know this is against the warrior code, but…I…I kind of…like you." He said, staring down." My ears perked. I was not expecting that. "I…I kind of like you too…" I said shakily. He suddenly looked me in the eye. "You do?" He asked. Then we both heard something. Some cat calling for him. "Meet me at the border. Tonight." I nodded. Why was I nodding? He got a happy look in his eyes, then bounded back through the bracken. After a few heartbeats, I went out the same way. After looking around, I found Snowywind. "There you are!" She said. We followed the rest of the group back to Thunderclan camp.

We came back into Thunderclan camp. I watched as the apprentices who had stayed asked the apprentices who had gone about the Gathering. I kept hearing Lionclaw's words play back in my mind. "_Listen, I know this is against the warrior code, but…I…I kind of…like you." _ I was still in shock. He likes me. He likes me. He likes me! I was happy and scared and worried all at once. I had to meet him later tonight. Snowywind yawned. "I'm going to sleep. Good night." She said. I noticed several warriors were doing the same. I followed her into the warriors' den and lied down in my nest. _Soon._ I thought. _Soon I'll see him._ As much as I want to stay awake, I can't help feeling exhausted. I soon close my eyes and fall asleep. I find myself in another dream. I was wandering through the forest, and it was as if it was greenleaf. Everything was green and the sun shone brightly. As I wandered through, I noticed a mouse, running through the grass. I dropped into a hunting crouch, and stalked it. Just as I was ready to pounce, I awoke. Snowywind had her back paw against my cheek. I silently stood up and crept out of the warriors' den. I looked up, hoping I wasn't late. As quietly as I could, I left camp and headed for the border.

Cliffhanger, I know. Don't hate me. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll update it…soon. Shadeflare out.


	4. Another Night's Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warriors!**

I quietly approached the Shadowclan border. I was worried when I didn't see him. I felt relief, though, when I saw his gold-brown pelt flash in the moonlight. He stepped out of the bushes and brightens when he sees me. "Hi." He said. "Hi." I replied. We were both on our sides of the border. We were close, though. If one of us took another step forward, they'd be on the other side. "So, it's true, then? You…you like me?" He said in a hushed voice. I nodded. He licked my cheek. I just hope no cat found out. It was against the code for me and Lionclaw to see each other, but still…he made me feel happy. "I just…I just hope no cat finds out…about…" I began. He nodded. "It's okay. As long as we're careful, our secret will be safe." I purred. How he said it…"…_our secret will be safe."_ He made it sound as if it could never happen. I looked up, and felt a shiver go down my spine. It was almost dawn!

"We need to go back." I said. I didn't want to go, though. We'd only seen each other for a few moments...and yet, so much was revealed. "You're right. Meet me here again tonight." He said. I nodded. I licked his ear and bounded off. As I quietly snuck back into camp, I froze when I saw Cloudstar step out of her den. She stretched, then went back into her den, but I knew she'd come back out soon. I dashed into the warriors' den and lied down, hoping I didn't disturb any other cats. As much as I tried to, I couldn't sleep. Luckily, I'd gotten some sleep earlier, so hopefully I wouldn't be too tired. I closed my eyes pretending to sleep, and matched Snowywind's steady breathing. Slowly, other warriors woke up and left. I got up and pretended to be tired. Eaglefur padded out behind me.

"Good morning, Shadeflare." He said. "Good morning." I replied. He bounded off to the Highledge to sort out the patrols. Luckily, I didn't have to go on either of the dawn patrols. So I went over to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a thrush, when Sunbreeze came over to me. "Hey, I woke up and you were gone last night. What were you doing?" She asked. A shiver went down my spine. "Hunting. I couldn't sleep well." I lied. She shrugged. "Alright." She said, and padded off. I was still worried, though. What if she followed me last night? _What if she saw me and Lionclaw? _I wondered. I hope she didn't…no, she couldn't have. She was asleep when I snuck back inside last night. And I would've heard something. Right? I had to be right…

It was sunset. Everything was peaceful, and it was almost time. I figured I might as well get a little sleep. I pretended to yawn, and said, "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep a little early…" Snowywind nodded. I went into the warriors' den and lied down in a random nest. I was actually a little tired, so it wasn't a _total_ lie, right? Slowly but surely, I drifted off into sleep. However, this time I didn't dream. I did sleep for a while, though. When I woke up, I quietly crept out of the den and snuck out of camp. I looked over behind me, to make sure no cat was following me. As soon as I was sure, I ran off. I ran to the border, never pausing.

He was already there. "Hey." He said. I purred. I leaned against his chest, and our tails twined. _Do I love him?_ I wondered. _Do I love this tom?_ Perhaps I did. I licked his ear. _I do love him…_ I realized. But that was okay. I loved him and nothing could change that. "Lionclaw?" I said. "Yes?" He asked, and looked down at me. "Um…I…I love you…" I said shakily. He purred. "I love you too, Shadeflare." He put his muzzle against mine, and for a few heartbeats we stayed like that. "I don't think there's a she-cat like you in all the Clans." He said. Was that true? I didn't care. "No, you've got it backwards. There's no _tom _like _you_ in all the Clans." I replied. He purred. "If only…if only there were no borders, no restrictions on love…" I said. He nodded. "But we can't change that." He said. He was right. "We need to go back." I said, looking up at the sky. "You're right. I'll see you again tonight, right?" He asked. I nodded and he licked my cheek. "Bye…" I said. "Bye." He replied, bounding off. I watched him for a moment, then ran back to camp. I stopped short, though, when something startled me: The scent of another cat.

Sorry this one's short. But I ended it with a slight twist, right? I'll update soon, don't worry. Shadeflare out!


	5. Should've Been More Careful

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. Case closed.**

_Oh no…_I thought. _No, no no!_ Sunbreeze. No doubt about it. She followed me, she saw…she saw…everything. I bounded back to camp, never stopping for a moment. When I came, Sunbreeze was waiting for me. She glared at me. "Let's talk about this someplace else, shall we?" She hissed. I followed her to a nearby clearing. "What were you doing with that Shadowclan tom? It's against the warrior code!" She hissed. I stared down. She wouldn't understand. She didn't have a mate. "I…I don't know how to explain it, okay? I love him, and you'll never understand!" I exclaimed. "Well, you can bet that Cloudstar'll hear about this very, very, soon."

"Please, don't tell Cloudstar…" I begged. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't." She said. "Because…because…I'll do anything to keep you from telling Cloudstar." I replied. "Alright, stop seeing that tom. That'll keep me from telling Cloudstar." She countered. "No…I won't stop seeing him!" I hissed. "Then I guess Cloudstar can handle this." She replied. "Just…just give me something to do…" I said. "Fine. You have to tell Cloudstar that you want to help the apprentices for a while." She said, glaring at me. "Fine…" I said. "Just swear it upon Starclan you won't tell Cloudstar." I said. "Fine. I swear it upon Starclan that I will not tell Cloudstar." She replied. "Now, let's go back into camp." She hissed.

I swallowed hard as I approached Cloudstar's den. "Cloudstar?" I said. "Shadeflare? Come in." I heard. "Shadeflare, you look upset. Is something wrong?" Cloudstar asked. "No, I'm just tired." I replied. It wasn't a _total_ lie, anyway. "Alright. Did you need something?" She asked. "Um, yes…I just came to tell you that I would…like to…help the apprentices" I stammered. Cloudstar's ears perked. "Alright, though we've plenty of apprentices, go ahead." She replied. I bowed my head and left. Sunbreeze was waiting for me. "Well?" She said, and looked at me expectantly. "She said I could." I replied. "Good. Now you have to keep this up until you stop seeing that Shadowclan tom." She said. That was "fair", I suppose.

I grabbed the moss from the elders' den. "Thanks for helping us, Shadeflare!" Flutterpaw said. "No problem." I replied, even though I really didn't like doing this. But I was, and I was doing it for Lionclaw. I had to. As I switched out the moss, I sighed. I noticed Eaglefur bound up to the highledge. "We have some hunting patrols to do. I'll go with Shadeflare, Pinepaw, and Hailfall. Shadowstream, you can take Spottedstreak, Flutterpaw, and Emberclaw." He said. Now I was happy. I didn't have to do this chore anymore! I bounded after the rest of the patrol and followed them as we headed out.

It was newleaf. Hunting was easier. Eaglefur slowly stalked a mouse that scurried about for Starclan knows what. He readied himself, and pounced. The mouse moved no more. He buried it for later, and we padded on. Suddenly I caught the scent of squirrel. I silently followed the scent to a squirrel by a tree, about to climb. It was now or never. I pounced, and caught it by its own tail. I swiftly bit its neck, and held it until I knew it was dead. The rest of the patrol came up behind me. "Nice catch." Pinepaw commented. "Thanks." I said, burying the squirrel. As we made our way through the forest, Hailfall stopped. "I…I smell badger." He said. I breathed in deeply. He was right.


	6. Sunbreeze Irritates Me

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warriors. Nope, Erin Hunter does, though.**

**I apologize for not updating in a while. It started off when I got busy, then our internet went out so I couldn't upload. I uploaded a lot of chapters, though, including this one.**

"Badger?" Eaglefur said. "Yes, there's definetly badger scent." I confirmed. "Stale, though. Several days old." Hailfall said. We followed the scent, but stopped when we came to the Shadowclan border. "Let's just go back and tell Cloudstar." Eaglefur said. We all nodded, and backtracked to where we buried our prey, then bounded back to camp. But I was still scared. It was in Shadowclan. What if it attacked them? What if…Lionclaw…died? _No. _I pushed the thought from my mind. It was too…repellent. As we came into camp, Cloudstar looked up from the Highledge. "You all look frightened. Did something happen?" She asked. "Yes…we found badger scent, stale, but only by a few days. It went into Shadowclan territory." Eaglefur explained. Several other cats looked up. Murmurs went through the Clan. "Badger?" "What about the queens?" "What if it attacks camp?"

I padded toward the fresh-kill pile and deposited my prey. I chose a mouse, and began tearing into it. I sighed when I saw Sunbreeze padding toward me. "So, badger, huh? I heard it went into Shadowclan." She said. I couldn't tell whether she was trying to irritate me, or if she was just trying to start a conversation. Probably the first one. "Yes, it did, Sunbreeze." I replied. "By the way, why don't you go on helping the apprentices even _more,_" She "suggested". "Like, changing their bedding, fetching them fresh-kill, simple stuff. Like you do for the elders." She explained. I didn't like the way she said "do". Because I actually still _do_ because of her."After all, we don't want Cloudstar to hear about our little secret, do we?" She asked.

I'll admit that I really wanted to rake my claws across her muzzle. That would've been nice. But no, I couldn't. "Fine. Why don't we go tell Cloudstar this?" I replied with a slight snarl that I couldn't help but let out. I mean, really. What did the she-cat have against me? I followed her to the leader's den, and she stopped outside. She looked at me expectantly. "Cloudstar?" I said. "Come in." I heard. I stepped into her den. "Um, I know this is another odd request, but um…may I assist the apprentices…like…we…help…the elders?"

Cloudstar's ears perked. "Uh…sure, of course you can. But this is an odd request to make…why have you asked me this?" She replied calmly. "Well, uh, see, the apprentices sometimes dislike their chores, and I can relate to that from my days as an apprentice, so I kind of wanted to repay them…" I replied. I hated lying to our leader…"Well, alright then." She said. I bowed my head and left. "Well, how'd it go?" Sunbreeze asked me on my way out. "Fine," I said, refusing to look at her. My growing dislike for her made it very difficult to resist the impulse to lunge at her. "Just…fine…" I continued. She got a look of amusement in her eyes. Why couldn't it be Snowywind who found out? She wouldn't make me do this…

It was dark. The warriors lay fast asleep in their nests. I very quietly got up, hoping I didn't disturb any cat. I snuck out of the den and quietly bounded toward the exit. I wasn't going to let Sunbreeze, or any cat for that matter, follow me this time. I pretended to slink into the bushes. I waited silently for a bit. Then I heard it. Another cat's footsteps. I saw Sunbreeze step out of the exit. "That mouse-brained she-cat. Seeing a Shadowclan tom? Hmph. How could she not expect me to wait for her to leave? I'll find out who that tom is…" She said. So, she intended to follow me _again?_ I knew she'd try and follow my scent. I quickly went through the shrubbery. I heard her behind me. As I dashed through the bracken, I thought of the possible advantage I had. She trusted me to lead her to the border. She probably thought I was taking a new route to try and fool her. Well, it'd be a little different this time. I dashed quickly through the forest, only too aware of her behind me. She was being quiet as well, but occasionally I heard her. An idea began forming inside my head. If she were to get injured, she'd have to stay in the Medicine Cat's den. She'd have no idea when I would leave.

I quickly scaled a tree. I had to pretend I was looking for anyone who might have followed me. As I went along the branches, I heard something behind me. A squirrel, maybe? No, Sunbreeze had slid against the trunk of the tree. I pretended to look around, but then shrugged. As I scaled the tree, I kept thinking how wrong it was that I was intentionally hurting my Clanmate. But it was Sunbreeze. And this wouldn't kill her. It would injure her, but not kill her. I'd chosen a set of branches low to the ground. "I hope this works," I said. "No cat'll follow me…I hope." I continued. She'd think I didn't know any cat was following me. That I was just trying a new path. Well, if there's a flaw that Sunbreeze has, it's the trees. Sure, she can climb; most cats can. But it was when she was faced with fragile branches, when she had to skip over them, that she had a problem. Don't even get me started on jumping. Jumping from one tree to the nearest one.

I was a small she-cat. I didn't have much problem with something like that. I just needed a good branch. It was actually pretty easy. Snowywind and I used to play in the trees as apprentices. I stopped for a moment. "No cat followed me…" I said. I could just imagine Sunbreeze's smug expression. Well, this was going to be different. The branches were low. She wouldn't get hurt, unless she was stupid. I readied myself, and leaped. I landed on the trunk, and dug my claws in. Good. I quickly scaled the tree, and found my way onto the next branch. I knew this had to be done quickly. She'd be hesitant to follow me through the trees, but she couldn't follow me on the ground. I would most likely see her. I heard a branch quiver, and I knew she was getting ready to jump. She'd be curious as to why I hadn't heard her fall. So I purposefully slipped, causing a lot of noise, but I caught myself, while hearing her fall and hit the ground. Some cat would find her. I silently slunk down to the ground, and bounded as fast as I could to the border.

He was already there. He brightened when he saw me, and I felt happier. "Hey." He said. "Hi." I replied. We were on either side of the border. "I…I have bad news…" I said and stared down. "What happened?" He asked. "One of…one of my Clanmates followed me. She knows." I explained. He sighed. "She's driving me mouse-brained. She's made me help the apprentices all day, and then she made me tell Cloudstar I wanted to treat them like elders." I continued. "I didn't think that would happen…Shadeflare, I'm sorry…" He said. I purred. "You don't have to apologize. She followed me, not you." I replied. He purred and I licked his cheek. "Well, I'm glad you would do all that for me." He said. "I'd do anything for you." I replied because it was true. Absolutely true. "I was worried about you. My hunting patrol scented badger that lead off into your territory." I said. He nodded. "We found the scent as well. _I_ was worried about _you_." He replied. That's when we both heard it. A loud, crashing sound.


	7. The Final Chapter

**Disclaimer: Hm, do I own Warriors…do I? Do I? NO, I DON'T.**

"W-What was that?" I said, trembling. Lionclaw and I unsheathed our claws. I heard another crashing sound. "I-I don't know…" Lionclaw replied. We crept toward the sound, when something barreled into me, and I slammed against something hard. Everything was hazy…"Shadeflare!" I heard Lionclaw shout. The thing-I recognized it as a badger. It lumbered toward me, when Lionclaw jumped onto it, and raked his claws down its back. Outraged, the badger tried to shake him off. I staggered to my feet, and lunged. I scratched its eyes, but it suddenly went down, knocking Lionclaw off of it. I didn't have time to see him go flying, as the badger swatted me against a tree.

"Shade…flare…?" I heard Lionclaw say hoarsely. "Lionclaw…?" I replied. I saw him stagger to his feet. "We need to…get..help!" He said. Where was the badger? I saw something huge move behind Lionclaw. "LIONCLAW!" I shouted. I saw him fly to the side, and land hard. I stood up, and watched the badger lumber toward him. I jumped as far as I could in my shaky state, and landed by the badger. I raked my claws into its side, but its fur blocked most of it off. "Lionclaw, get up!" I said desperately. "Let's go get our Clans!" He said, standing up. "It can't follow us both!" I replied. He nodded, and I watched as he ran off. I turned the other direction, trying to ignore that I had a nasty cut on my side. Much to my dismay, I heard the badger trampling things behind me.

I burst through the camp entrance. "THERE'S A BADGER ATTACKING!" I yowled as loudly as I could. I saw Snowywind, Hailfall, Eaglefur, Shadowstream, Woodpaw, Pinepaw, Flutterpaw, Cloudstar, and Pebblewind wake up and step out of their dens. "Badger? Where?" Eaglefur said. "It's follow-" I never would finish that sentence. The badger had me in its grip. By the neck. It shook me hard, and I couldn't do much. I heard several cats yowling, then saw them leap onto the badger. I recognized Shadowstream, Pinepaw, and Snowywind. "Eaglefur, Flutterpaw, Pebblewind, go wake up the other cats! Hailfall, go protect the nursery!" Cloudstar ordered. I felt myself being let go by the badger, and landed with a thump. I couldn't do anything now. I was too bloody, wounded, and I was having trouble seeing. That's when I heard something else-more cats? How is that possible…it was coming from out of the camp…then it hit me. Lionclaw.

I heard the other cats jumping into the fray, and caught a glimpse of Lionclaw. I saw Thornstar, and Blazeclaw, and a few other warriors and apprentices. I got up on my paws, and, as wounded as I was, jumped onto the badger. I faintly heard Cloudstar telling other cats what to do, then saw her cloud-white pelt flash as she jumped to join the fight. I saw Pinepaw being stepped on. I leaped off and barreled into the badger's leg as hard as I could. Starclan, that thing was hard. At least Pinepaw was okay. The badger wasn't doing well, though. So many cats were on it, lashing out against it, biting into it. A few cats were flung aside, and much to my dismay, didn't get back up. No time. The badger made its way into the middle of the ravine, and grabbed a cat in its mouth. At first, the cat was too bloody to recognize. Then, to my horror, I recognized Snowywind.

"NO!" I yowled, and leaped over to the badger's face and slashed as hard as I could. I caught that monster by surprise, and it let go of her. But I didn't stop. NOTHING hurt my best friend. I slashed its eye, its nose, and saw other cats hacking away at other places. The badger wanted me, though. Because I'd hurt its face. It was going to kill me. I couldn't take another heartbeat in its grip. Just as it was about to bite into my neck, I saw something flash by me, and saw Lionclaw being picked up into the air. By the badger. Lionclaw! As I tried to get up, something held me down. The badger had me under its leg. I clawed the leg with my other paw, but to no avail. It shook Lionclaw hard, then flung him aside like a piece of unwanted fresh-kill. "Lionclaw!" I wailed. I saw Willowheart, our medicine cat, drag him into the Medicine Cat Den. Suddenly, I felt the leg let me go. Of course it did-Flutterpaw, Pinepaw, and Woodpaw had attacked it, full-force. I jumped to meet the badger's face again, and dug my claws into it. I felt it go down. Finally, it was done.

I watched the other exhausted cats stare at the dead badger. "It's dead…" I heard some cat say. A few others murmured in agreement. "Thunderclan thanks you, Thornstar." Cloudstar said. Thornstar bowed his head. "You would have done the same." He replied. Willowheart began studying the injured cats. Several were serious. The others had a lot of cuts and scratches, but nothing serious. As the Clan cats began speaking t each other, I ran to the Medicine Cat Den. To my surprise, I saw several cats there, including Snowywind. I ran over to her. She had marigold and cobwebs all over her. "You okay?" I asked her gently. "Yes, I'm…fine…" She said. I glanced over and saw, to my surprise, a sleeping Sunbreeze. I looked over the cats, and soon found Lionclaw.

"I'm fine, Shadeflare…" He said weakly. "You saved my life…"I said. "Did I?" He said jokingly. I licked his cheek and he purred. "You two know each other well, don't you?" I heard Cloudstar say. _Fox-dung!_ I thought. "Cloudstar, I can-we can-…" I stammered. "Don't explain. I can guess. You two have been seeing each other?" She said. I stared down and nodded. She sighed. "Well then. Shadeflare, I'm disappointed in you." Cloudstar said. "Cloudstar?" Lionclaw said. "Yes, Lionclaw?" She replied. "What if I joined Thunderclan?" He asked. "That's up to me and your leader." She replied. I heard Thornstar and Willowheart come in. "Seems your warrior wants to join my Clan." She said. Thornstar sighed. "Which one? Why?" He asked. "Lionclaw. He's been seeing one of my warriors." She explained. "Is this true, Lionclaw?" Thornstar asked. "Yes…it's true, Thornstar."

Thornstar was a bit kinder than I'd thought. He understood what happened. He said he'd had a crush on a warrior from Riverclan when he was an apprentice. Cloudstar reluctantly let Lionclaw stay. Some of the warriors in Thunderclan didn't like it, especially Sunbreeze. Snowywind was a little shocked, but I asked her what she'd do for Pebblewind, and she got it. It was hard for him, adjusting to Thunderclan. He said he would always miss Shadowclan, and he would always be a Shadowclan cat at heart, but he was loyal to Thunderclan, and he loved me. I admit that a lot of warriors didn't like me that much after the incident, but I couldn't care less. I mean, really. He was loyal, what else matters?


	8. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Warriors. If I did, I'd be four different people.**

**Two updates in one day. I'm so proud of myself. This is the Epilogue, by the way. But it still counts.**

It's been two moons since Lionclaw joined Thunderclan. We still love each other, still get dirty looks every now and then. Snowywind is still my best friend, and she's even expecting Pebblewind's kits. She couldn't be happier. Lionclaw's proved himself to be a good warrior, and even helped fend off a fox. I still owe him for saving my life against that badger. He says it was nothing, that I'd do the same for him, that he did it because he loved me. The last two parts are true, but the first one wasn't. It wasn't just_ nothing. _Jumping in front of a badger to save a cat isn't just _nothing._ I mean, come on. He nearly died. But hey, it's Lionclaw. He's the mousebrained tom I love.

Snowywind says she's happy for me, because I finally found some cat I love. She says I'm more talkative now. Ha ha. Sunbreeze still hates me, but I don't care. It's her choice. It amuses me to this day that she still hasn't found a mate. Woodpaw and Flutterpaw were now Woodfur and Flutterheart. A lot of cats say they like each other, and I completely agree. You can just…tell. Things have been peaceful, of course. It was now greenleaf, and prey couldn't taste better. Lionclaw and I were happy, and most cats respected that. Still, some cats didn't. But they weren't saved by Lionclaw. They don't love a cat so much they'd die for them.

Eaglefur likes to tell me that I'm spending _too _much time with Lionclaw. Well, he and Hazepelt couldn't stand being away from each other for more than few heartbeats. She's nursing his kits. She named one Hiddenkit because his fur practically hides him in the grass. His eyes are green, so even those can hide. The little tabby kit can hide in the dark, in the sun, almost anywhere. His sister is named Sandkit. Her, of course, sandy fur goes well with her green eyes that match her brother's. They're growing just fine. They're adorable. I like kits. They can show how a Clan is prospering, and they show how cats love each other.

I'll never know why Snowywind loves to gossip so much. She'll always be the first to spread rumors about cats liking each other, which cats are expecting kits, and so on and so on. I find it amusing, really. She actually told the other cats that I was looking a little plump. When I was informed by Flutterheart, I couldn't stop laughing. Much to my dismay, several cats agree with Snowywind. Oh well. That day, when I stepped out of the Medicine Cat Den, a bunch of cats were already whispering to each other. I caught a few bits, like, "I'll bet she's expecting…" or "I'll bet she's looking for Lionclaw" or things like that. So of course, he was very pleased when I told him I was expecting his kits.


End file.
